Beam construction



May 1934- v G. F. KO'II'RBATY 1,957,176

BEAM CONSTRUCTION Original Filed Aug. 9, 1930 INVENTOR A1TORNEY5 atenied May 3, i934 BEAM consrnuc'rron Guy F. Kotrbaty, lLaureiton, N. Y assignor to Fer-recon @orporation, New York, N. 3., a corporaticn oi Delaware Application August 9, 1939, Serial No. 474,158 Renewed September 25, 1933 '4 Claims.

Hitherto, in the construction of monolithic beams and joist and other like members, it has been customary to prepares. suitable detachable form placing therein reinforcing material such as ironor steel rods which are suitably secured by tie wires, spacers and the. like, after which a suitable plastic embedment such as concrete or the like is filled and hardened, after the concrete or the plastic material has set the form members are removed and the surface of the beam or joist is dressed by suitable tools, if de-' sired.

This type is not suitable for a wide variety of purposes, due to the fact that the concrete mass usually cracks and the strength of the reinforced beam or joist is substantially a direct function of its mass. Thus for heavy floor loads, a reinforced concrete beam of substantial dimensions is required. However, the mass of concrete required for the support of floor loads of substantial magnitude is such that in practice the weight of the reinforced beam proper rapidly approaches a maximum and limits the duplication of such constructions.

It is an object of this invention to provide a composite metallic and monolithic plastic memher which is suitable for retaining great weights.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a hardenable plastic supporting member with which is integrally associated a metallic form. A further object of the invention is the provision of an improved metallic construction which is adapted to subserve the dual functions of a concrete form and a reinforced member for. concrete beams and the like. A still further object of this invention is the provision of a composite beam member of concrete and associated metal parts, the whole being so constituted and arranged as to provide a maximum resistance to door loads while including in its parts a minimum of metal and associated plastic material.

- These and other desirable objects and advantages of the present invention will be set forth in the accompanying specifications and illustrated in the drawing, a preferred embodiment In the drawing, like numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views of which:

Fig. 1 is a cross section partly in elevation of an improved composite beam member and a support therefor, and

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the metal structure shown in Fig. 1.

Referring now to the drawing 1 designates a column of cast iron or any other suitable material which may or may not be filled with concrete or like substances. Column 1 may, if desired, be of masonry, brick or any other non-mentallic construction. The column is provided with the usual column set, 2, on which is superimposed a base plate, 3. This base plate may be made of structural steel, cold or hot rolled as desired, depending upon the weights to be supported, and of any suitable gauge. For ordinary dwelling houses and other like constructions 16 gauge will be found suitable. Member 3 is bent back at both edges to form clip portions 4 and 5, defining channel portions 6 and 7, whose function will be adverted to more in detail hereinafter. As above noted, the member 2 and associated parts form the base of the composite beam which is the subject of the present invention.

, This composite beam comprises in effect an open channel which may be assembled in place, or may be pro-formed and transported to the location where it is to be used.

The sides of the beam are formed of structural steel members designated generally by the numeral 8, of hot or cold rolled steel or other structural metallic material of any suitable gauge, 16 gauge being a desirable thickness for ordinary small dwellings and other like structures. These members are preferably provided with perforamembers 8 and these portions are further bent outwardly to form sections 12, preferably parallel to sections 11 and separated therefrom by a space sufilcient in thickness to be introduced into channel portions 6 and 7 of the base plate 3. By this tongue and groove arrangement there is provided a positive lock between the base plate 3 and the associated side members 8. If desired, the members 3 and 8 may be permanently secured by riveting or welding or any other suitable manner at the portions 6, 7 and 11 together.

To provide a desirable reinforcement for the upper portions of members 8 and prevent their bulging outwardly when filled with plastic material, a plurality of tie rods 13 having angular end portions 14, are inserted through certain of the apertures 9, previously described. These tie rods are cut to fit the particular constructions with which they are to be associated and the portions 14 may be hammered in situ without previously bending them. This permits ordinary soft bar stock of iron or steel to be fabricated at the time of use, although as before intimated, the members may be pre-formed and inserted through the apertures 9.

While the members 8 have been described as being substantially smooth surfaced, it will, of course, be understood that they may be punched out or otherwise suitably configured to provide retaining abutments for association with juxtaposed beam members. As before noted, the metallic members just described are preferably made of rolled sheet metal, and due to their improved configuration, they approximate structural steel members of similar configuration. This similarity in form is further heightened by the association with these members of a suitable plastic embedment, of concrete or the like, designated. generally by the numeral 15. The embedding material is flowed into and between the channel portion formed by the members 8 and the base plate 3,

" the side members 8 serving as retainingmembers and the apertures 9 permitting a certain amount of the finer plastic portions of the aggregate to flow therethrough on to the outside of the side members. If desired, a suflicient amount of the plastic material, freed of its aggregate by suitably varying the size of the apertures 9, when flowed on the outside of members 8, is smoothed in any desired fashion to form the initial plastic. coat 16, care being taken to encase the side members 8, protecting them from rust and corrosion and presenting a completely finished member. It will be seen that the outer coat of plastic material is monolithically bonded tothe embedding -mass 15, through the apertures 9, and this outer coat may serve as a base coat for a finishing coat of plaster of'any suitable depth, usually determined by the eifective depth of member 10. The members 14 are, of course, covered to any desired depth, although, of course, it will be understood that under favorable climatic conditions and the like, the outer protective coat of plaster may be disposed with.

While a cementitious aggregate of the type of ordinary concrete has been disclosed as a suitable imbedment for the novel composite beam/member above described, the invention also comprehends the use of light weight aggregates to decrease the total weight. Any suitable light weight aggregate may be used such as a shale material or other substance which has been heated to incipient intumescence, and the so heated mass cooledand reduced to appropriately sized particles. Such material adds the advantage of light weight while subserving the usual function of nuclei of crystallization for the silicates comprising the cement binding material.

The composite beams hereinabove disclosed may be formed in place or they may be made up in a factory in suitable sizes and lengths and shipped as required.

It will now be appreciated that there has been provided an improved structural member which provides the equivalent or a structural steel construction, while using rolled or pressed sheet metal members of light weight so configured and arranged as to provide forms suitable for the reception of a structural plastic embedment and at the same time adding to the strength of the embedding mass its own inherent tensile strength and further due to its restraining affect on the embedding material, preventing the latter from being subject to cracks, either longitudinal or transverse, normally arising from load stresses.

What is claimed is:

1. A composite beam for structural installations comprising, in combination, a channel member having mutually interlocking tongued and grooved bottom and parallel side portions, the side portions being displaced outwardly with respect to the bottom whereby to form a plasterers screed, a cementitious aggregate in the said channel and a coating of plaster material formed exteriorly of the walls of the beam, the depth of said coating being determined by the said screed.

2. A composite beam for structural installations comprising, in combination, a channel member having bottom and apertured side portions severally provided with mutually interlocking tongues and grooves, the side portions being mutually parallel and displaced outwardly with respect to the bottom whereby to form a plasterers screed, a cementitious aggregate in the said channel and a coating of plastic material formed exteriorly of the walls of the beam and integral with the cementitious aggregate.

3. A building support comprising, in combination, a plurality of supporting columns and associated column sets anda beam member supported on said columns, said='i5eam members including a channel formed from tongued and grooved mutually interlocking bottom and apertured parallel side portions and having an open top, spacers associated with the sides and a structural plastic material disposed within the said channel, said side portions being set outwardly from the edges of the bottom to form a plasterers screed.

4. A combined form and supportfor a composite beam structure including, in combination, a base plate and associated side walls, being respectively provided with mutually interlocking tongue and groove sections, the side walls being mutually parallel for a major portion of their height and being displaced outwardly of the base plate at their respective bottoms to form plasterers screeds.

GUY F. KOTRBA'I'Y. 

